UIL Congress Contest
Congress is an individual contest in a large group setting. It models the legislative process of democracy, specifically, the United States Congress. Within this mock legislative assembly competition, contestants draft legislation (proposed laws and position statements) submitted to the tournament, and they research the docket of bills and resolutions dealing with real-world social and political policies prior to the contest to prepare their speeches. At the tournament, students caucus in committees, deliver formal discourse on the merits and disadvantages of each piece of legislation, and vote to pass or defeat the measures they have examined. Parliamentary procedure forms structure for the discourse, and students extemporaneously respond to others’ arguments over the course of a session.
Resources & Guidelines
- 2025-26 Congress Handbook
- Overview of the Congress Contest
- Synopsis & Time Structure of Congress
- Skills Gained from Participating in the Congress Contest
- The Case for UIL Congressional Debate
- Writing Effective Congress Legislation
- Showcase Video of Congress
- Request for Accommodation Process
Congress Competition
Resources for Judge Training
- Judge Awareness Training
- Debate Rubric: Speaking
- Presiding officer Rubric
- Judge/Scorer Instructions
- Judge Training Modules
State Competition
2026 - State Tournament Information & Procedures
Congress Results History
Contest Rules
Congress Contests and Clinics
Congress Contest Materials
- Google Instructions
- Legislation Template- Bill
- Legislation Template- Resolution
- Legislation Template- Resolution Amend Constitution
- Judging Instructions
- Oath of Office
- Debate Rubric: Speaking
- Presiding Officer Rubric
- Speech Evaluation
- Master Ballot
- Presiding Officer Evaluation
- Parliamentarian Ballot
- Amendment Form
- Table of Frequently Used Parliamentary Motions
- Chamber Voting/Election Record
- Precedence/Recency Table & Fractions of Parliamentary Voting
- Agenda Report
- Final Session Evaluation